Like Fragile, Tiny Shells
by Olive Tree Hugger
Summary: ...drifting in the foam, just like the lives of our beloved heroes. A compilation of oneshots surrounding the Avatar-verse. Get ready for the feels. UPDATED. Cover art from deviant art.
1. Chapter 1

_**Like Fragile, Tiny Shells**_

_**Extended summary: Drifting in the foam, as are the fleeting lives of our beloved heroes. This is a compilation of fluff/feel-infested one shots that revolve around the Avatar characters. Most of them have to do with Team Avatar, Lin and the air babies. **_

_**Good Lord, I love how everyone says air babies now **__^__^_**. Each chapter will rotate through characters. There will be mentions of Kataang, Irosami, Makorra, Tokka, Linzin (Lin/Tenzin) and other pairings. (To be honest, I only like Zutara and Irosami right now). Each one shot will be named accordingly. Get a box of tissues for the feels. Get some tea for the Zuko/Iroh central chapters. And don't forget to review!**_

* * *

**Question**

Katara entered Senna and Tonraq's humble little igloo, careful not to stand under the wobbly picture frame. That Tonraq didn't quite know how to handle a hammer, it seemed.

Senna, the grand-niece of her friend Bato, embraced Katara tightly. The water bender chuckled, hugging back. "Hello, Senna. It's good to see you." She murmured.

After pulling away, Senna said tearfully, "Thank you for coming."

The water bender nodded and Senna gestured behind her. "This is Korra."

Katara beamed when she saw a small, brown haired girl standing in the middle of the igloo. At first, the child looked at her with a mistrustful stare, but then her features softened.

Korra smiled widely and walked up to Katara. She grabbed the elder by the mitten and asked her cheerfully, "Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

That was the first time Korra saw her cry.

* * *

**Defense Mechanism**

Korra was sometimes rather impossible-just as most teenagers were.

Tenzin would have trouble keeping tabs on his student when she training. There were times she would have trouble mastering a technique so she would enter the Avatar state just to get it right. He yelled at her constantly,

"Korra, you can't use the Avatar state as a toy; it's a defense mechanism!"

And she would ignore his heeding every time. It was only when Tenzin told her about how Avatar Aang was killed in the Avatar state that she listened to him.

* * *

**Roots**

There were no portraits of Lin's grandparents in the house. She always found it so confusing. Kya and Ta Min were both informed about their grandparents, their namesakes and their ancestors. When Lin asked her mother about why there were no portraits of her family, Toph pointed at her eyes and said,

"I wouldn't be able to see them anyways."

Unsatisfied, Lin confided in her Uncle Sokka and he spilled the entire story to her. After the war ended, Toph and her parents reconciled, but only for a little while. When Toph announced that she wanted to start a metal bending school, her parents meddled and they had another falling out. Toph vowed never to see them again, and a year later, Lao Beifong passed away. Poppy blamed her daughter's rebellious actions, claiming that it broke Lao's heart to see Toph wasting her life.

By the end of the tale, Lin grew sad for her mother and vowed that she would always appreciate her for the hard work she put her though. No matter how hard Toph made Lin train from then on, Lin liked to think that her mother was trying to make her see just how lucky she was to have a parent who encouraged her abilities.

* * *

**Flying Lemurs**

Teenagers Lin, Ta Min, and Kya stood on the platform of the Pro-Bending arena, staring up at the crowds of Pro-Bending fans awaiting the match to begin. The crowd was shocked to see such young, tiny looking girls in the ring with burly, surly looking men. The announcer howled with laughter as he shouted into the microphone,

"Well, looks like we've got ourselves a good 'ol fashioned game of moose-lion and bunny-mouse, ladies and gentlemen! Never before has this arena seen the likes of _women _competing for the position of champion Pro-benders!"

It was considered unorthodox, and quite revolutionary for female benders to compete in Pro-Bending. Being the game's first female players, Lin and her friends sought to demonstrate how strong and independent women could be.

They were all children of the saviors of the world, actually. Lin was Toph Beifong's child, Ta Min was Fire Lord Zuko's offspring, and Kya was Avatar Aang's only daughter. Had the announcer known that, had the _audience_ known that, they never would have underestimated the girls' bending prowess. They wouldn't have learned firsthand that these girls were three of the most impressive benders in the world. The Flying Lemurs would have been anticipated.

But, as Lin confided in her friends, where would the fun be in that?

* * *

**Jokes**

Sitting with the original Team Avatar and their children was always a grand time for Lin. She loved to watch Toph torment her friends like she used to, and she absolutely adored it when Uncle Sokka and Aunt Katara got into one of their famous sibling squabbles. She liked to sit in between Bumi and Tenzin, because she liked being one of the boys. Ta Min and Kya would sit close by.

Lin would enjoy herself until her mother started telling jokes-or rather, attempted to tell jokes. The situation nearly always looked like this:

Toph: "Hey, hey, did you hear that one about the boar and the rabberoo?"

Lin: "Mom, it's not funny! You always tell it!"

Toph: "No, you'll all love it!"

Lin: "Mother, really."

Toph: "So a boar and a rabberoo are-"

Lin: "Mom, you're embarrassing me, _MOM STOP!"_

Unfortunately for Lin, Toph would end up telling the joke and it would only rake in a dry chuckle from Sokka. Ta Min would lean in and whisper in Lin's ear and whisper,

"You think you've got it bad? My dad doesn't even tell the punch lines right!"

* * *

**_So there's chapter one, ya'll. I hope you enjoyed it. I was originally going to write one chapter for each character, starting with Lin, but then I figured it would be more fun this way. Yeah….I'm starting to warm up to Tokka. Not good, not good._**

**_But at least that pairing makes sense. Some people ship Amorra, Tarrlock/Korra and Tahno/Korra. EW! What is it with this fandom? Is a pairing born every time two characters interact? What, do Naga and Pabu have a steamy relationship because Naga let the ferret sit on her head once? Do Pabu and Bolin prance together in a field of wildflowers?_**

**_…Come to think of it, they probably do. _**

**_But still! What the hell is with these nasty pairings? Lieutenant/Amon=ew. Saikhan/Lin=yuck. Air Acolytes/Meat=I am _****gagging_. _**

**_And Broh….wtf is that one about? Iroh II is so old school and Bolin is a ladies' man. You will not make my babies gay when they totally are ladies' men. I won't allow it. _**

**_Ugh, God knows what other sick fantasies plague this fandom. _**

**_Enough ranting. Please, review. I love you all._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Like Fragile, Tiny Shells**_

_**Extended summary: Drifting in the foam, as are the fleeting lives of our beloved heroes. This is a compilation of fluff/feel-infested one shots that revolve around the Avatar characters. Most of them have to do with Team Avatar, Lin and the air babies. **_

**Chapter 2**

**Ok. Can I just say that before season 2 comes out, Bolin and Eska _cannot_ become a couple. Eska looks like a gloomy, pouty seventh-grader who thinks she's cool because she listened to Pink Floyd ONCE. And she reminds me of Mai, whom I could never stand. Can those two just go cry about their sappy not-problems and let Zuko and Bolin alone? **

**And Makorra. Don't get me started on that. Mainly because Mako looks like my ex and I hate Mako for betraying Asami. **

**Oh well, I'm pathetic. Whoop-de-do. It's currently midnight as I write this. And now, to cripple you with FEELS.**

* * *

**Bereavement**

"Tell me where the Avatar is and I'll let you keep your bending." His unmoving lips said. His voice was eerily calm, but she knew that behind that mask, there was a malevolent and hateful man.

"I won't tell you anything, you _monster_." Lin spat, glaring daggers at him.

There was no telling what emotion Amon was experiencing. His dauntingly detached expression just stared back down at her.

"Very well." He said monotonously. He moved behind her chained form.

Lin would never give up the world's last air benders, _children, _to the sick, twisted hands of Amon. She wouldn't let him win Republic City while she was alive, and certainly, she would not allow this corrupt monster to destroy the Avatar. She would sacrifice herself a million times over again to keep Tenzin, his family, and Korra safe.

But Amon, Amon didn't understand the meaning of her sacrifice. He simply pulled her head back, squeezed the base of her neck and pressed his thumb to her forehead. She closed her eyes as she awaited it, internally grieving that she could not bring him down. Perhaps it was inevitable; perhaps she really had done all she could.

Abruptly, all of her energy was broken, clean through. Through her arms, her legs, torso and throat, and through her head, the chi was just…gone. She suddenly felt a sharp pain and her body went heavy.

As her eyes shot open and she fell forward, she felt a surge of numb pain smash into her. As the rain fell over her unmoving form and the sound of Amon and his army's footsteps faded away, Lin realized that her bending had not left her body, but was in fact, _dead._

The kind of bereavement Lin felt that night, the kind of pain she experienced, could only be comforted by the touch of her mother. And she didn't even have that.

* * *

**Destiny**

In celebration of the fall of the Equalists, Republic City held a wild banquet. Everyone was there, from the Fire Nation royal family to Korra's distant cousins. Watching everyone with their families, their lovers and friends made Asami lonely.

Her father was awaiting trial for crimes against the United Republic, and her mother was dead. Her boyfriend had just dumped her, brusquely, for her best friend. The fate of Future Industries was now weighing on her shoulders. It was just too much to take in at once.

Asami knew it was stupid to be gloomy on such a joyous occasion, but who was she kidding? With every smile she faked, a little piece of her died inside. She decided that maybe it was best to leave the banquet before she broke down in tears in front of everyone.

As she turned around to leave, she nearly collided with a rock-hard, red-clad chest.

"Oh, excuse me!" She exclaimed, nearly tumbling backwards.

"Please, it was entirely my wrong." The voice returned.

Asami's eyes trailed upwards; she was surprised to see General Iroh standing before her, offering her the most charming of smiles. She was even more stunned to see that he was holding two small cocktail glasses in his gloved hands.

"No, really, it's my fault," she apologized, "you've probably got quite a date waiting for you." She gestured to the glasses in his hand and she stepped aside, fully intending to leave before she mortified herself any more.

But as she did that, the royal took a step in her direction, blocking her way. "Actually, Miss Sato, I was hoping you'd like to share these beverages with me." He replied, his dimples now fully apparent.

Asami's eyes went wide and suddenly, hope bloomed in her chest. So what she was on the rebound? She grinned at the general and gladly accepted her glass. "Thank you, General, sir."

Then, Iroh offered his arm to her, and Asami's free hand flew right into the crook of his elbow. Both of them secretly noted that their arms fit perfectly together. They ambled outside, onto a balcony, under Yue's spirit. They chatted for a long time before Iroh prodded,

"Miss Sato, forgive me for asking, but why were you standing alone when all of your friends were on the dance floor?"

Asami's green gaze shifted downwards and she replied, "Well…if I weren't standing alone, you might never have found me and decided to share a drink with me."

The general grinned and he retorted, "Touché, Miss Sato."

The girl looked up at him, and their eyes locked on each other for a fleeting moment as Asami said, "Please, call me Asami."

He stared back at her, noting that the moonlight enhanced her beauty a thousand fold. "Asami, I think this might be the start of a beautiful destiny." Iroh declared.

* * *

**Testimonies**

Lin sighed to herself as she regretted coming to the banquet. One hand snuck up to her right cheek and fingered the slightly raised, rough edges of the damaged skin. **Stupid**_ reporters and their _**stupid**_ big mouths._

"It gets better." A male voice said.

Lin spun around and raised her eyebrows at the sight of an elderly Zuko standing there, staring sadly at her.

"Uncle Zuko…" She whispered softly, afraid someone would hear her.

He held his arms out and she crashed into him. She embraced him tightly and muttered, "It's been too long, Uncle Zuko."

The former Fire Lord pulled back and smiled. "Lin," he said, "You're still the beautiful woman I knew all those years ago. Your mother would be so proud."

Lin shut her eyes and sighed, trying to keep her composure. She was surprised when Zuko's rough fingertips touched her scars. She opened her eyes and looked at his face.

Her mother had told her about how Zuko received his scar. His monstrous father punished him with endless ridicule and a flame to the eye. She noticed that it had faded and sagged along with his skin, as he was quite old now.

"I know it'll get better." She said quietly, registering that it wasn't her place to mourn over such cosmetic perils. Her Uncle Zuko had it far worse.

He hugged her again, kissing her cheek and saying, "My dear, look at your scars like testimonies to your struggle. Let them tell your story, but don't let them consume you."

A hand instinctively rushed to her navel and she closed her eyes. "I will." She managed to whisper.

* * *

**Hands**

The first time Tenzin and Lin were in bed, the air bender ran his fingers down her abdomen as he kissed her. When his palm pressed down against her navel, as he began lifting her shirt, she tensed and gripped his wrists.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his big grey eyes staring down at her.

Lin shifted her green eyes away from him and murmured, "I have a scar there."

Tenzin offered her a rare smile and settled a hand over her face, thumb tracing over the thin, identical pink lines crossing over her right cheek. "You never let that stop you before." He whispered, before kissing her again.

* * *

**Fury**

Blind, white-hot fury was the first emotion Lin felt when her Uncle Aang died.

Everyone was in his bedroom, watching, as the spirits took away his last breath. Lin remembered the looks of sheer pain and disbelief on everyone's face. Katara had been holding his hand, leaning over his chest. Toph was at the foot of the bed, her hand on the sheets. Lin saw the white knuckles, the tears streaming down her mother's face. It was the first and last time she'd ever seen Toph cry. Tenzin was there too, and he stared at his father's lifeless body. He didn't say anything, he didn't cry, but Lin could see the heartbreak written all over his features.

Lin looked back at Aang again. It was so strange; he was only 66 years old. How could a man, so full of life and energy, just suddenly _die_ on them? How dare he, the_ Avatar_, leave the world hanging by a thread?

How dare he leave her?

* * *

**Release**

When his father died, Tenzin buried himself in his work. He would do anything to keep himself from thinking of the Avatar. He worked late hours into the night, and he'd be so exhausted in the day that he couldn't spend time with his then-girlfriend, Lin.

He threw himself into extensive training sessions, going long hours into the day. He went as far straining and twisting his joints because of the strenuous exercise. He sought to master and create his own techniques; just so he could feel closer to his father, so he wouldn't feel alone anymore.

One night, Lin stormed into his office and nearly cried, "Don't you get it, you stupid arrow-head? We're all mourning! I miss him too, Tenzin!" Tears were running down her face now, and it strained Tenzin's emotions.

"You have no idea what I'm feeling, Lin." He softly, but sternly, said.

Lin's voice cracked, and she slammed her fists on his desk as she shouted, "I would if you'd just tell me!"

The air bender's features darkened and he looked away. "It's not working anymore, Lin."

The earth bender's green eyes widened in horror, and she broke down right there. Tenzin's heart clenched as she fled the room, sobbing.

How long was he going to suffer?

The next evening, he received a letter from the South Pole; his mother had written to him. Once Tenzin opened up the paper, he began reading. Almost immediately, before he could finish the first sentence, he set down the paper with teary eyes. He lowered his head onto his desk and allowed himself to grieve. Finally, he had his release.

On the paper, Katara had written:

"Dear Tenzin, we found the Avatar."

* * *

**Gross**

"Trust me, Mako, you'll love it!" Korra gushed, staring at her boyfriend from across the booth.

The young fire bender eyed the cup of bubbly, dark liquid suspiciously. He raised his eyebrow at Korra and asked,

"What is this called again? A soda?"

The Avatar nodded enthusiastically and pleaded, "Please, Mako? I know you'll like it!"

Mako sighed in defeat, groaning at the soda. It looked like dirty water to him, but if his girl said it was good, he would have to try it anyway. Otherwise, she'd put him in a headlock and force it down his throat.

Locking eyes with her, he lifted the cup to his lips and let the drink swish into his mouth. Suddenly, his tongue fizzled with flavor and he downed the entire glass within seconds.

As he set it down, he leaned over and said flirtatiously, "That was absolutely deli-"

Abruptly, very abruptly, a huge belch erupted from Mako's mouth and into Korra's face.

Mako watched, humiliated, for the Avatar's reaction. At first, Korra's blue eyes were wide with shock, but quickly they were clenched tight, and she was laughing.

"I'm sorry, Honey, I forgot to tell you that soda makes you burp!"

Instead of being totally mortified, Mako smiled at his giggling girlfriend. There were many things he loved about Korra: one being that she never minded it when he was gross.

* * *

**Innocence**

Lin might have felt the cold, wet weather if she wasn't so heartbroken.

She might have realized that she needed to stand up and face Amon again if she weren't frozen by the overwhelming grief.

Her bending, the one thing she and her mother truly had in common: gone. The one practice that still comforted her when she was emotional was gone. In a weird sense, it was like losing her innocence. She wasn't pure. She wasn't quite right anymore.

She'd been "equalized."

She could have died right then and there, but it didn't matter anymore. Lin felt her tears slowly fall, and she realized then that she was a failure.

But as she lay on the concrete, arms still chained together, she swore she felt a calloused hand brush her graying hair from her face. She heard a strong, healthy heartbeat close to her ears. She craned her head back and saw a softly glowing spirit cradling her in its arms.

Lin smiled when she saw the familiar, pale blue eyes.

It whispered comfortingly, "You are strong, you are smart, and you are my brave little soldier."

Then, her shackles suddenly fell to the ground, freeing her hands and restoring their movement. Lin looked down at them and tensed her fingers, hoping to achieve any sort of response from the ground. When nothing came of her attempted bending, she looked back up.

The spirit was gone. Lin slowly stood up, her middle-aged joints whined in discomfort. She looked up into the night sky, letting the rain fall onto her cheeks.

"Thank you, Mother." She whispered.

* * *

**Subtleties **

The first time they met, it was under the night sky. Her family had been passing through Republic City to visit Korra, nothing more. It had been snowing, and it was early evening when Jinora caught glimpse of something moving in the shadows.

She slowed her walking, and eventually stopped on the curb of the sidewalk. She squinted at the movement. She saw a flash of color coming from behind a shop. Then, he reappeared. His face was somber; his long brown hair was plastered to his face, and his clothing looked trampy at best.

Somehow, Jinora liked it.

The boy's slanted hazel eyes glared at her, almost in anger and she couldn't help staring back. She didn't know why he looked at her that way, but it saddened her. She tried to give him an apologetic look, raising her eyebrows and frowning, and it seemed to work.

Instead of the predatory, angry eyes he'd been sporting just seconds ago, now he wore an expression of confusion, of…could it be intrigue? Jinora didn't know, but their faces were doing dances, communicating their curiosity. She offered him the slightest smile and subtly wiggled her fingers in his direction.

To her pleasure, he waved back.

* * *

**Crying yet? No? That's ok. I cried enough for all of us. **

**Bereavement:**** Dang. I didn't even know how to call this one. I'm sure everyone was really mad/sad when Lin lost her bending. The rain and the slow motion and the music helped with the drama.**

**Destiny:**** Gen. Iroh II is such a cutie. He'd be the type of dude to say that. And I have a feeling Asami would enjoy it. **

**Testimonies:**** Because Zuko.**

**Hands:**** Linzin fluff. **

**Fury & Release****: These two obviously go together. I wanted to show the two sides of the relationship and how they dealt with the loss. Hrrrnnnng all the Tenzin angst. I felt all weird and emotional writing that.**

**Gross:**** I don't even ship Makorra because of what they did to Asami and Bolin. I hope Mako's stupid eyebrows get sheared off in season 2. But seriously, writing this piece felt shallow and silly. **

**Innocence: ****A not-so-canon version of how Lin was able to free herself from her shackles after her bending was taken away. Obviously the sequel to "Bereavement". This one was based on a series of fan art I came across on Tumblr. There was a sketch of a passed out Lin in the arms of a younger Toph. I was all "D'AAAAAW"**

**Subtleties:**** The beginning of Jinoochy. Ahhh, I loved writing that piece. Such young, sweet fluff. I don't even. **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Like Fragile, Tiny Shells**_

_**Extended summary: Drifting in the foam, as are the fleeting lives of our beloved heroes. This is a compilation of fluff/feel-infested one shots that revolve around the Avatar characters. Most of them have to do with Team Avatar, Lin and the air babies. **_

**Chapter 3**

**Chapter 3**

**Hi, readers. In this chapter, you're going to see some blatant disregard for Boleska, because I think it's a stupid ship. Yeah, so Bolin gets a new honey. Yay for Bo! Also, there's more Jinoochy, Lin angst, some canon-compliant Zutara on the way too.**

* * *

**Nearby**

It was way too difficult to have Tenzin nearby, much too agonizing to see him with another woman, playing with his three air bending children. When she overheard that he was moving to the South Pole to train the Avatar, Lin was relieved.

* * *

**Melon**

Lin was in the kitchen one night, making a fruit salad when Toph strolled in. Suddenly, Lin grabbed her hands and placed them on her head. "Mom," she said, "Guess who I am!"

Toph ran her fingers over her child's head, feeling a coarse and bumpy exterior, and then something wet and sticky. Confused, she asked, "Lin…?"

Lin exclaimed, chuckling, "I AM ME**_LIN_** LORD! FEAR ME!"

Toph never felt so proud.

* * *

**Name**

Bolin settled his chin against a thick hand and stared at the girl sitting across the table. They sat there for nearly three minutes in an uncomfortable silence, staring at each other, at the walls, the patrons…The girl barely talked, mainly keeping to herself. Bolin didn't even catch her name.

_What possessed me to go on a date with this girl?_ Bolin asked himself.

The girl seemed to sense his discomfort and cleared her throat. Her voice was soft, shy.

"So, did you hear any interesting radio shows lately?" She asked.

By then, the earth bender had completely lost contact with his date; he stared into space and day dreamed.

"Uh…Bolin?" Her voice interrupted his thoughts.

He crashed back down to Earth, blinking his eyes and lifting his head off of his hand. "I'm sorry, what did you say….uh…" _What was her name again?_

"Leizu." She answered, raising an eyebrow. "I asked, 'Did you hear any interesting radio shows lately?'"

"Right, right, Leizu. Uh, well, I don't really listen to radio that much. Not much since I stopped Pro-Bending."

Leizu leaned forward, saying, "Yes, I heard you and your team stopped after the Equalist movement. You, uh….broke a lot of hearts like that."

Her cheeks burned a bright pink and Bolin remembered for a moment that her parents were big names in the Pro-Bending business. _Oh, yeah. That's why I'm on a date with her, _he realized_, to get back in the games._

He snorted, "Yeah, I guess so. It would be a shame if we never got to play again."

Leizu shook her head, her spectacles wobbling. "Oh, no, that would suck! I'm actually a pretty big fan."

Bolin raised an eyebrow, "Yeah? That's cool."

His comment silenced her. _Man, why does she always go into these weird pauses_? He thought.

As he prepared a new sentence, a waiter approached the table, carrying two silver serving plates. The earth bender stifled a cry of glee when the waiter placed the plates onto the table.

"Our special, as requested by Miss Leizu." He said, in a traditional, snotty accent.

Bolin asked, "Who's Miss Leizu?"

Leizu sighed quite heavily and pointed her spoon at herself, "Me. I ordered the special before you arrived."

The earth bender was starting to feel a little weird. Ordering food for him? _No one chooses food for Bolin, earth bending prodigy!_

The girl quietly placed her spoon inside the bowl and sipped her soup. Bolin, on the other hand, shoveled it down hastily.

"This is great." He commented between gulps.

Leizu smiled and said, "Yeah, you know I made this recipe? I sold it to the restaurant."

Bolin lifted the bowl up to his lips and gulped the rest down. The girl watched with a strange mix of disgust and endearment.

"Wow, you have quite an appetite." She said.

Bolin felt a belch approaching and punched his chest several times before the burp escaped. He covered his mouth quickly, but it was too late. The girl was grossed out.

She coughed lightly before pushing her bowl away. "I don't think I can eat anymore."

Bolin cleared his throat, saying, "That's too bad. It's pretty good. Whoever made this recipe is a genius."

Leizu scratched her head, wondering why she ever thought to ask him out. "Bolin, it was me. I came up with it. Me, Leizu."

The earth bender slapped a hand over his forehead, laughing, "Oh, right. Sorry about that."

The spectacled girl sighed and slumped her shoulders, saying, "So…uh. You have really great hair. Where do you get it done?"

Bolin ran his fingers through his black curls and wondered out loud, "I dunno, it's always been like that."

"Huh." Leizu replied. She looked back down at her hands and sighed again. _This date is a disaster, _she reckoned.

Bolin stared at her for a second and internally shuddered. _Man, what is up with those glasses? And the hair, why is it so curly? And her eyebrows are too thick!_

"So, uh, Lee, is it? I was thinking-" He started.

The girl's eyes bulged and she nearly shouted as she stood up, "MY NAME IS LEIZU YOU BIG ANIMAL!"

To his shock, she shot up from her seat so quickly that her spectacles fell off of her face and into her soup bowl. She gasped and leaned over to pluck it out, but her head collided with Bolin's, who'd just jumped up to help her.

They both jerked back, yelping in pain. Leizu's hand tried to grab at the edge of the table for leverage, but instead she knocked over the bowl onto her lap.

She looked down at her clothes in horror and screeched, "My mother's dress!"

Bolin recoiled and watched in surprise. "Oh, man, I'm really sorry!"

Leizu glared up at him and stifled a few tears, muttering,

"Thanks a lot, Bolin. Thanks for making my first date the most upsetting and humiliating one ever!"

She plucked her glasses out of the mess and sloshed out of the booth, out of the restaurant. She didn't seem to care that the soup dripped off of her like paint. Either that or she just wanted to preserve whatever dignity she had left.

Bolin tugged on the singular curl hanging above his forehead, a habit he picked up after he was orphaned. He decided in a split second that he would at least go apologize the right way to her. The way she deserved.

He pushed through the doors of the vicinity, and found a trail of sticky liquid on the pavement. He followed the path that it created and found a pitiful Leizu hunched over on a bench, weeping softly into her hands.

He approached her cautiously, careful not to set her off again. He slowly sat beside her, and whispered,

"Please don't cry."

Leizu continued to cry, completely ignoring him. Bolin sighed and gingerly touched her shoulder. "If it'll make you feel better, I can give you an autograph. You said you liked Pro-Bending."

The girl pulled away from him, not lifting her face from her hands. "Oh, you were listening?" She asked, her words laced with sarcasm.

He replied softly, "Yeah. I also noticed that you like to make things, namely food."

This elicited a small snicker from Leizu, but she still didn't look at him. "I do like to cook." She answered.

"Well, see, there you go." He said animatedly. "I also remember the first time I met you, you were with your dad and you were saying that you liked to sing."

Leizu turned around to look at him, and he noticed she wasn't wearing her glasses. "Yeah, singing and songwriting are my greatest passions."

Bolin felt his face flush. Looking at her now, with only the dim street lights illuminating their surroundings, he realized that he'd misjudged her. Her thick eyebrows were shapely, and gave her face emotion. Like a smolder of some sort. Her curly black hair looked buoyant and shiny. And her eyes, her eyes were absolutely huge and hazel colored. She was beautiful.

"Uh," he rubbed the back of his head, "Again…I'm really sorry about tonight."

She offered him a smile and said, "That's ok. You didn't mean it. Sorry I called you a big animal."

Bolin shrugged, saying, "I've been called worse, believe me."

She smiled again before she picked up her spectacles, whose metal frame was bent completely out of shape. She stared sadly at it, muttering, "They were my only pair."

The earth bender opened his palm and said, "Here, I've been practicing my metal bending."

She carefully put the broken spectacles into his large hand and watched in amazement as he fingers began to command the metal, twisting back into its original shape.

"That's…wow! Thank you, Bolin." She marveled, a radiant smile resonating on her face.

Bolin returned with, "Anything for a fan." He grinned.

She blushed slightly and placed the spectacles back on her face. The earth bender realized that they made her look smart, quirky.

Then he remembered something. "The offer still stands, you know."

She raised an eyebrow, asking, "What offer?"

Bolin nudged her, "Y'know. An autograph."

"Oh, I'd love one. But I don't have any paper with me." She responded apologetically.

The earth bender smiled deviously. "That's alright. I have a better idea."

She watched him walk to the edge of the sidewalk, to an old building behind the bench. She raised her eyebrows as he took his bending stance and used his arms to trace something into the stone walls.

When he finished, Bolin looked back at her with boyish pride and pointed at it. "Whaddya think?"

She stood up and approached it. Immediately, she felt her face burn. She covered her mouth and tried not to giggle.

"What?" Bolin asked, both scared and offended. "What's wrong with it?"

She shook her head, now swapping at the air in front of her eyes. "No…it's just…" She read it again to herself, 'To Leizu, the best fan in the world. With love, Bolin.'

Leizu gave the bender a glistening, happy smile and whispered, "You remembered my name."

* * *

**Return**

Lin experienced the loss of many people she loved. Besides Toph and Aang, the most painful death she'd had to deal with was Sokka's.

Sokka was a brilliant, intelligent, powerful man who loved Toph and Lin. Lin used to claim that if Sokka were a bender, he'd be a brain bender because he was so clever and witty. As he grew older, he decided to give Lin his precious boomerang. He told her,

"Hold on to it, little soldier. This boomerang got me and your mother out of a lot of hot water."

When she was forty, she learned that Sokka died peacefully in his sleep. At that moment, Lin ran to her closet, and fumbled through her things before yanking out the old metal weapon.

She sat on the edge of a hill and cried, holding the boomerang to her chest. As the tears fell from her eyes, leaking down her cheeks, she tossed the boomerang into the air out of sorrow.

Then she watched in mild surprise as the boomerang whirled right back to her. When she caught it, she realized that Sokka would never leave her. Just like his boomerang, his spirit would come back.

* * *

**Crippled**

When she was a child, she got her first scar. She was walking to the police station to see her mother when she overheard two men whispering,

"I hear Toph Beifong is running for chief of police."

"Beifong, eh? The dame is crippled. Can't even see right in front of her."

There was no word fit to describe Lin's rage at that moment. All she knew was that no one had the right to talk about her mother that way. She turned to them and shouted angrily, "Hey! Do you imbeciles know who you're talking about?!"

Then she stomped on the ground the way her mother taught her, and thrust the stone pavement at them. Little did she know, one of the men was also an earth bender. He was able to reflect the stone and it ricocheted back into Lin's abdomen. She fell back into the ground and everything went black.

When she woke up, her mother, and Aunt Katara stood over her. Toph smiled when she heard Lin ask weakly, "Mom?"

Toph settled a hand over her daughter's black hair and stroked it gently. "Yes, little soldier?"

The child replied, "I fought for you today."

Aunt Katara spoke, "Honey, you have a scar on your stomach. I healed the injury, but the scar won't budge."

Toph sighed but Lin reached up and touched her face. "It's okay, Mom. I'm proud of it."

* * *

**First Encounter**

When Ta Min was a teenager, she learned about the bloody one hundred year war. Initially, she was horrified and bothered by the fact that her ancestors had in fact initiated the war. But after learning that her parents had both taken part in ending it, she grew prouder and prouder of her heritage.

Her Uncles Sokka and Aang would tell her all sorts of wonderful stories about her father, the swash-buckling, sword wielding hero that jumped in front of women to save them from sure death. It made her awfully happy to call herself the crown princess of the Fire Nation . But one day in history class, her teacher mentioned that the previous Fire Lord was still alive, stewing in a dungeon. Ta Min was curious about her grandfather. She'd only seen him in paintings in the royal galleria, or in school books. Her father never talked about his past with her.

One day, the fifteen year old decided to find her own answers.

The young fire bender didn't know what to expect when she first met her grandfather. She'd heard horrible things about him: he was evil, conniving, rude, and uncaring. Ta Min knew these things, but she had no idea how he'd react to seeing his granddaughter for the first time.

She expected anything but the dirty, hairy, pitiful form crouching in the corner of the cell. When she stepped forward, unsure of what to say, the man's head craned back far enough to glance back at her.

She saw almost no emotion in those bloodshot, lifeless eyes. She gripped the iron bars, nearly terrified. This was her grandfather? All the stories of the fearless, powerful Ozai lounging about in a palace of riches paled in comparison to the sight of the old man rotting away in this cell.

_That's what happens when you kill hundreds of people,_ Ta Min guessed.

His raspy, emotionally void voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You look old enough." He said.

Ta Min raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?" She asked.

He continued to stare at her, responding, "You look old enough to be the princess. Yes, fifteen years ago the palace celebrated the birth of an heir. You're the girl, aren't you?"

The young girl stared at him, somewhat confused. Why was he talking to her? Especially so civilly? "Uh, yes. I'm Fire Lord Zuko's daughter: Ta Min."

Ozai grinned, showing a pair of yellowing teeth. "That's quite a name."

The girl proudly replied, "Dad told me I was named after his maternal great-grandmother, Avatar Roku's wife."

The smile on Ozai's face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a sneer. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Ta Min looked at her grandfather sadly. "Why do you hate the Avatar?"

A strange, dark chuckle erupted from the man's throat, followed by an ugly sounding cough. "Which one?" He stopped laughing, "Oh, do you mean the air bender?"

The princess didn't know who she meant. "That's Avatar Aang. He brought peace to the world."

Ozai retorted, "You sound like you're reading that from a book."

Ta Min gripped the bars tighter. "No. I firmly believe Avatar Aang is the symbol of ethical and moral justice. He's one of my greatest inspirations."

The former Lord sighed quietly. "I suppose you know the story of how he brought the war to an end." He said.

"He defeated you." She replied, secretly hoping that it would upset him.

It did. Ozai glared at her and simply redirected the conversation. "So, girl-"

"_Ta Min."_ She corrected, her tongue dripping with venom.

"_Princess_ Ta Min," Ozai rejoined, "Are you a bender?"

"Yes. I'm a fire bender."

"And are you good at it?"

"I'm improving."

"Improvement isn't good enough."

"At least I still have my bending."

Ozai laughed hoarsely, shaking a finger at his granddaughter. "You have a sharp tongue. You know, your father does too. Did he ever tell you how he got that hideous scar?"

The girl growled at him, her face pressed onto the rusting metal, "You took his childhood away from him."

The old man snorted, "You seem like a passionate girl. What are your interests?"

"What?" Ta Min wondered. _Why did this man just jump from subject to subject?_

"What are your hobbies, princess?" He asked again.

"Oh. Lady Zora, my governess, insists that I learn painting and embroidery and those silly girly princess things. But I like ostrich-horse riding with Dad. And I like to play the Tsungi horn, and write poetry, and read. And sometimes I try to brew different teas, like my Uncle Iroh."

Ozai tensed at the sound of his brother's name. "How interesting. You seem like a smart girl. You go to school, don't you?"

"A private school for noble kids and royals." She replied.

"What are your favorite subjects, child?"

Ta Min pondered for a moment. "I like arithmetic, but not as much as I like my writing class."

Ozai nodded and replied, "You do have an impressive vocabulary for a teenager. You shall have to recite your poetry to me one day."

The girl stayed quiet, looking at the sagging and wrinkling face of the once feared monarch. There was something undeniably heartbreaking about him. To see her own grandfather locked in a cage, knowing that it was all his doing; she felt like she was betraying him.

_No,_ she reminded herself, _he betrayed the family. He betrayed the world._

"You could've been free." She said softly.

Ozai raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"

"If you'd just given up your megalomaniacal tendencies, you wouldn't be in this dungeon. You'd be free to live with your family. You could be happy." She replied.

Ozai studied his granddaughter for a moment. She was about five-foot-three, possibly breaking into a fourth inch. She was slim, but she looked quite healthy and well-fed. Some baby fat still clung to her face, filling her pale cheeks. Like the rest of the Fire Nation's royal lineage, she had ivory skin, ink-black hair, and glistening gold eyes. Her hair wasn't held up the way her aunt wore hers, instead it braided and held together with a gold piece. Her clothing was that of a librarian's: a beige vest, a red jacket and black pants. He was tempted to ask why she wasn't wearing armor, but then he remembered that she wasn't Azula.

He realized that she was in fact right. She was smart, this one. She looked like she had potential. She was fiery, smart, and fast tongued. It might get her into trouble one day, but he suspected that she'd be the type to come out on top.

A male voice sounded, shouting her name. "Ta Min?! Where are you?"

The princess froze in her spot. Ozai chuckled at the sight of pure teenage fear written on her face. "It's my Dad." She whispered. _Speak of the devil and he doth appear,_ he thought as Zuko walked into the vicinity and lay eyes on them.

The younger man's features displayed first surprise, then confusion, and then rage. "Ta Min, what are you doing here?" He reprimanded, rather than asked.

The princess ducked her head in respect and replied, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I just wanted to see what-"

"Enough, young lady." Zuko cut off, "you will go upstairs and tend to your mother; she's worried sick over you."

As she bowed and hurried away, he called, "We'll talk about this later!"

Then he turned to his imprisoned father and growled, "If you so even look at my child ever again…" He didn't finish the threat, but instead sneered at the prisoner.

Ozai glared up at his son, the Fire Lord. The man he had to answer to. He simply replied, "What makes you so sure I want to hurt her?"

Zuko snorted and spun around, retorting as he walked away, "You know exactly why!"

The former Fire Lord softly, thinking to himself. He silently thanked Agni for allowing him to get to know his only grandchild.

_I will see you soon, Ta Min,_ he vowed.

* * *

**Sigh. What a creepy way to end that. So, I've been updating a lot lately. I already have the last chapter of "Piece of Cake" ready, but nothing else. Welp. If you thought there was going to be Zutara and Jinoochy, you were WRONG! I totally lied. God willing it'll be the next chapter somewhere. Want more updates? Review more.**

**Nearby****_:_**** You got to admit, it's pretty hard for someone to get over their ex if they're always around. Poor Lin. I hope they give her some sort of love interest in the seasons to come.**

**Melon****_:_**** I couldn't resist. **

**_Name: _****Leizu's my OC. You can't have her. Let's delve into her story for a moment, shall we? Her parents are two big names in the Pro-Bending business. Bo and Mako and Korra want to get back in the games but lost their sponsor Asami because Future Industries is no longer a trusted business after the Equalist attacks. They want a new sponsor, Leizu's family. Bo starts dating her to gain some leverage, but things change once he gets to know her. She's quirky, nerdy, super shy, but she likes to sing and dance and stuff. She's kind of Bo's opposite at first. But then they find more and more commonalities.**

**Return:**** Councilman Sokka. When I heard those words, I nearly cried. I freaking love 43-year old Sokka. I imagine that he and Lin would have a father-daughter relationship. **

**Crippled****_: _****Jerks calling Toph motherloving Beifong a cripple. **

**First Encounter****_: _****Even evil Fire Lords need some family time. **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Like Fragile, Tiny Shells**_

_**Extended summary: Drifting in the foam, as are the fleeting lives of our beloved heroes. This is a compilation of fluff/feel-infested one shots that revolve around the Avatar characters. Most of them have to do with Team Avatar, Lin and the air babies. **_

**Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing good, because I'm super excited. I'm getting as many chapters for as many of my fics done as possible for your pleasure and for my relief. Thank you to all my reviewers for ALL of my fics, especially the lovely Frosted Landscapes and Quirkista for being loyal readers. Check out their stories, seriously. And all the guests, too, thanks guys! Check out my story "Illusions and Shadows".**

**What you're going to see in this chapter: Much longer drabbles. More Jinoochy: a continuation of "Subtleties", some canon-compliant Zutara, some Makorra because now I'm really getting into it, Spirit World stuff, and a bunch of other Avatar-verse goodness. Am I the only one eagerly awaiting Book 2? Like seriously, I just want it so bad. I bet you it's coming in the summer.**

* * *

**Cold**

A brown hand is encircled by a pale one with a blue arrow tattooed on it. Grey eyes are smiling, laughing, and projecting such sunshine and warmth that it could disarm the most hardened of criminals. Big, blue eyes are supposed to be smiling back, but instead they are red from tears and lost love.

Across the room, two pale hands are intertwined. Two sets of golden brown eyes cease to meet, both of them looking in opposite directions. One pair settles on the blue eyes from the other side of the room. The eyes are longing, angry, and devastated.

Between the brown and the blue there is a spark, like sapphire and amber, two gems creating the embers that can grow into a gorgeous flame, true love, if allowed.

But, when the blue arrow squeezes her hand, blue eyes remembers her place. It is not with true happiness, not with amber eyes; it is with duty, it is with grey eyes.

Like on an autumn night, during a light shower, whatever was left of the once proud fire is nothing more than musty grey ash, and fading cinders.

Oh, how cold is forbidden love.

* * *

**Cast Away**

The next time they meet, Korra has taken her and Ikki to an ice cream shop in the city. Jinora feels the need to look over her shoulder every few moments, like she expects to see him there again. The lonely boy in the shadows.

She tries to convince herself that their meeting was a once in a life time occurrence, there would be no more street-rat, no more ripped clothing and empty stares. But Jinora is young, and her mind gets the better of her. She starts to dream up of how lovely their reuniting will be.

Did he feel that way too, when they first exchanged waves? They were subtle, perhaps too subtle.

She watches through the glass window of the shop, watching people walk by. She keeps hoping that one of the young boys that stride by would be him, but she knows none of them would be hers. Was Skoochy even hers?

By the afternoon, while Korra walks them home, Jinora lags behind, hoping the Avatar and Ikki would forget about her momentarily. The young air bender ducks into a nearby alley and looks up. This was the building she'd passed by all those months ago, when she'd last seen him.

Something tells her that he would've lingered there for quite some time.

Then, out of nowhere, a faint noise echoes at the opposite side of the alley. Jinora quietly and cautiously makes her way behind a dumpster, listening to the now audible whimpers. It sounds like someone is trying to hold back their tears, and failing miserably.

She turns the rusty corner of the dumpster and stumbles back with such a sight that it sends her mind reeling.

There he is: brown shag hair and filthy rags, dirt-smothered skin and slanted eyes. Strange though it may be, she watches him as he cries. He is crouching over himself, rubbing a rag over his arm and hissing, holding back tears.

He lets out a pained sob, sounding very much like a child. But then Jinora remembers that he is a child, in fact. Two years did not separate them by any means.

Her heart strings strain at the sound of his painful wails as he presses the blood soaked cloth against his skin, cleaning his wounds carefully. She watches the tears smear the dirt on his face.

She doesn't know what she did wrong. Jinora reaches out and whispers "Are you OK?"

Immediately, as though time had warped itself to be faster, the boy flinches and shoots up, shocked to see a city dweller, one so clean and pampered, talking to him. _It's one of those precious, spoiled air bender brats from the island._

Jinora tries to say something to him, tries to give him comfort, but he shouts,

"GO AWAY!"

Then he shoves her with his bloodstained hands and she lands on the dirty pavement. She scrambles away on her knees and elbows, so honestly shaken by what he'd done.

She stares up at his angry face. The tears leave a trail of clean skin, distinct and stark-apparent against his filthy face. His big green eyes have narrowed and there is a fire in them. He snarls,

"Why are you here? Go on, get out!"

He flaps his arms out and tries to shoo her away. The young air bender merely stands up as slowly as possible and reaches for the blood stained rag that had fallen to the ground in the scuffle. She holds it out and says sadly,

"Someone hurt you."

He lowers his gaze, like he's ashamed. He doesn't take the rage from her, doesn't speak to her. But Jinora knows that he's affirming her statement.

He's shocked when she presses the rag against his cheek and smiles so slightly, "I can help you."

He doesn't move, but instead asks her something. "You're a spoiled kid from Air Temple Island. One of the last air benders, right?"

Jinora doesn't like being called "spoiled". Did he remember that they'd met, albeit informally, once before? "We met in the streets a long time ago."

"Yeah." He responds. And that's all. No more speech from his part. He closes his eyes and she gently rubs the rag on his face, smearing the dirt and blood and water away.

"I'm Jinora: Councilman Tenzin's daughter."

"I'm Skoochy: someone's bastard."

The girl stifles a question. Was he an orphan? Did he expect her to laugh? He seemed OK with it; otherwise he wouldn't have just said it so blatantly.

"I can take it from here." Skoochy mutters, and his rough hand brushes against hers as he takes the cloth from her.

Jinora murmurs, "Oh, alright."

"Jinora!" Korra's voice shouts in the distance. Turning around, she sees the Avatar rushing to her, Ikki in tow. The older girl collides with the air bender, crushing her tightly against her chest. Jinora can see Skoochy's quickly disappearing form as he runs out of the alley.

As Korra pulls the girl away, chastising, "You know you shouldn't run off on your own like that, kid", she sees the blood on Jinora's clothing and her eyes widen in horror.

"Spirits, what happened?!" She nearly shouts.

Jinora feels her eyes well with hot tears and all she can whisper is, "It's not mine."

Korra says nothing else except, "Tenzin and Pema _won't_ find out about this."

Jinora believes she's telling Ikki this.

Korra just presses the little girl to her chest and rubs the back of her head, soothingly rocking to and fro in the middle of the narrow alley.

The air bender can't tell her where the blood has come from, she can't tell her about the stranger who'd shoved her to the ground and screamed at her to go away. It wasn't getting lost that hurt, it was being cast away.

* * *

**Wonder Boy**

Mako was a brother, a police officer, and a killer fire bender. Everyone knew that. That's why no one messed with him or his family.

He was the only fire bender on Republic City's Police Force. Chief Beifong had commissioned him and he was glad to take part. After the nearly successful Equalist takeover, Mako would do anything to keep his family and friends safe. He worked hard—tracking every known Triad there was. He swam through sewers, squeezed through narrow alleys, ducked under crawl spaces, whatever it took to bring down these gangs.

They were the ill men of the capital, and they had to be eradicated.

It was a fair game, he supposed. Sometimes, the Triads won. He once needed to give up his information about the Agni Kai Triad to the Triple Threats just to intercept one of their weaponry shippings. That time, it really made his blood boil. He had that one, perfect chance to nab his friend's mother's murderers, and possibly his own parents' as well. And it was ripped from his grasp before he'd been given a chance to savor it.

Chief Beifong consoled him, telling him, "There're always going to that one case that'll keep you up at night. You just have to keep it from consuming you."

Come to think of it, maybe she wasn't consoling him. Maybe she was warning him.

One night he'd come home, to the new apartment he and Bolin bought with their hard earned cash, and he barely made it to the couch before collapsing in a heap of bruises and sore muscles. Korra burst in, all energy as usual, and she crawled into his lap and asked him how his day was.

"Fine." He replied.

"No it wasn't." Korra said, "You look exhausted."

"I want to protect you from what's out there." He rejoined, pressing a large hand over her cheek.

She ran her tanned fingers through his dark, spiked hair and kissed his lips, saying, "I'm the Avatar, remember?"

"Still." He protested, holding her close.

"You don't have to be a superhero. You're killing yourself." She purred. She trailed her hands over his broad shoulders and gently squeezed over the spot where his shoulders met his neck.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Korra gave the best massages.

"I'm proud of you, Mako," the Avatar murmured, "But you're driving yourself up a wall. When was the last time you had a good sleep?"

"When was the last time we had sex?" He replied, still enjoying the touch of her fingers.

She gently swatted at him, smiling. "C'mon, now. You work too hard."

Mako instinctively reached for his father's red scarf, the one wrapped around his neck. "I just-"

Korra kissed his temple lovingly and moved her hands to his lower back. "I know," she said, "you'd make your parents proud."

Mako opened one eye, staring at her through the amber orb. "Really?" He asked, one eyebrow cocked.

"Of course. But don't think you can avenge everyone."

He sighed again and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Korra, I want justice. For Bolin and I, for Asami, for you, for everyone who's ever been a victim of the Triads. It's my duty as a member of the force."

Korra shook her head, rolling her eyes lovingly at her boyfriend's inflated nobility. Suddenly, the phone in the corner of the room started to ring. She shot up and walked across the tiled floor. Mako watched her pick it up with an exuberant,

"Hello?"

And then her tone changed. Her disappointed "OK"'s gave him a clue. He was already standing up, donning his jacket when she turned around. "It was Beifong. A robbery at Kuang's." He looked down at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Korra."

She kissed the tip of his nose and cooed, "It's OK. You've got your police duties, I have my Avatar duties. You got this."

Mako kissed her gratefully before tearing out of the apartment, in pursuit of the criminals.

Korra leaned against the door, sighing, "Be careful, Wonder Boy."

* * *

**Anniversary**

Every year, on the anniversary of her mother's death, Lin would trudge onto a hill top in the early morning. She would carry a ripe melon with her and cut it open, before setting a slice on the ground along with a lit candle.

She'd say to her mother's spirit, "You'll always be head Chief."

* * *

**Tribute I**

From a distance, the four of them could be seen circled around a small campfire, roasting marshmallows and walnuts. Their cheer and mirth could be heard for miles.

Korra, the Avatar, sat on the far right of one log. She was wearing her usual blue ensemble, with the parka tied around her hips. She had her mouth open wide as she laughed. She was the carefree, rebellious, and hot-headed girl everyone in Republic City knew and loved. She was a fighter. She sidled up close to her boyfriend, occasionally hiding her face in his shoulder, snorting from laughter.

Mako, a police force recruit, sat beside his lover. His signature red scarf was draped over his shoulders, his uniform pants tucked untidily in his boots. He had one long arm wrapped around Korra's waist, gloved hand settled on her thigh. He was a serious, tough man, but he could let loose when warranted. His hand faced the fire, and he let miniature flames erupt from his palm to keep their humble campfire ablaze. Thrust into the streets at eight years old, he was forced to assume a role way more mature than his age could allow. Being with his friends, being happy, gave him back a bit of his childhood.

His younger brother Bolin sat on a separate log, his beefy arms settled against his knees. His wide green eyes lit up with his laughter, with the glowing fire. Bolin was never a serious person unless he was needed to be. He was a jolly man, kind and sweet and sensitive too. His older brother had always protected him from the outside world, so he was also somewhat naïve. People usually underestimated his powers as an earth bender until they saw him in the Pro-Bending arena. The people who knew him better than anyone, the people who knew when Bolin was hiding a smile or holding back tears were here with him. They were all he really needed.

Asami Sato also sat on her own log, facing the love birds. Long ago, it would have deeply cut the raven-haired girl, but she found that Korra and Mako were made for each other. She'd loved Mako once, but now she could finally see the happiness in his eyes, and she was OK with that. She was a demure girl; she never opened her mouth wide enough for people to see her teeth, and she never laughed obnoxiously. She grew up in a wealthy and proper household, brought up to be quite the young lady. That didn't mean she couldn't get her hands dirty, though. Who worked on early models for Future Industries besides her? She could hold hers. She was a Sato, after all.

The four of them: the dynamic and fantastic crew. Three benders and one non-bender, all prodigies in their respective fields. Each a duty: one to the world's peace, one to the city's safety, one to a sport, one to a company's survival. They'd all been through their troubles: deaths and jilts and moments of weakness. They'd nearly lost each other more than once; curled up in blizzards, hanging off of cliffs, loomed over by deadly machines, chased by gang members—they endured all of that. In their moments of powerlessness, sometimes they found that they were open to the greatest changes in their lives. Their names would go on in history.

Their friendship was unlikely, their powers underestimated. But with the fall of the Equalists, with the relative peace in their city, the four teenagers could say that they inherited the title "Team Avatar".

* * *

**Memories I**

She looked around, absorbing the lush and beautiful greenery of the dimension. It was eerily quiet though. Neither a bird, nor an insect could be heard flitting around. Before her were a small tile floor and a large rock. She tilted her head skywards and noted that the sky was invisible, covered by the canopies of trees that she hadn't noticed were there.

She thrust her arms out, trying to create fire like her master taught her. When nothing came, Tenzin's voice echoed in her mind.

"I'm in the Spirit World, aren't I?" Korra heard herself ask.

She tried to remember how she'd gotten there. But last night, after a severely trying trial of Hiroshi Sato, she walked home and was blindsided by one of the Triads. She was forced into the Avatar State and was weakened severely.

She sighed with realization and rubbed her eyes. "My Avatar Spirit is hurt." She said to herself.

"It is," a familiar deep voice echoed behind her.

She spun around, widening her blue eyes at the man's form. Orange and yellow robe. Bald head tattooed with an arrow. Beard trailing his jaw. Kind, smiling grey eyes.

"Aang!" She shouted in joy. She ran towards her former self and wrapped her arms around him.

The man chuckled lightly and hugged her back, saying, "It's so good to see you again, Korra. How is Katara?"

She buried her face into his orange-clad shoulder, quietly marveling how tall he was. She took a deep breath and noted that he smelled very much like autumn.

Korra pulled away and looked into Aang's kind grey eyes. "She's great. She misses you."

The former Avatar's face saddened a bit, and Korra could tell that he missed his wife just as much. But, as always, Aang's buoyancy kept him from getting too depressed.

"And your friends? How is that boyfriend of yours?" He asked, a slightly mischievous grin on his face.

Korra smiled, replying, "Mako's been fine, as is everyone else. Tenzin taught me how to perfect that marble trick. And your grandchildren are growing up beautifully."

Aang's face was mixed with longing and grief and pride. The current Avatar felt bad for his sadness and promised, "I'll tell them you said hello?"

Aang let out a loose laugh and put a hand on her shoulder, saying, "Korra, you're currently in the Spirit World. Your spirit needs to recover, else you may never go into the Avatar state again."

The girl raised her eyebrows, eyes widening in shock. "What?"

The former Avatar squeezed her shoulder and replied, "The chakra in your throat has been cut off."

Korra's hand flew up to her throat and she swallowed hard, "My _what_? Am I dead? Am I bleeding out somewhere?"

Aang furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips. She had so much to learn.

"A chakra is a spiritual checkpoint where cosmic energy flows. You have seven, one starting at the base of the spine, and working upwards. Your throat may have been damaged."

A sudden memory slapped Korra like a calloused hand, and then she remembered. "I was fighting one of the Triads last night. I was going into the Avatar State, and then…" Her fingers trailed her throat gingerly, "One of them got my neck. I don't know how, but it burned like crazy. And then I was here."

Aang's features hardened for a second. "You may have been killed in the Avatar State."

Korra's eyes widened in shock. She stared at him in awe, and a lump suddenly formed in her throat. "…I'm dead?" She squeaked.

The air bender reached for her and pulled her into his embrace. She wanted to cry into his shoulder, she wanted to feel something, but she was frozen in a state of astonishment.

"We don't know for sure, Korra. If you were dead, a new Avatar would have been born. And that hasn't happened."

The Avatar sighed, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw. She didn't know whether to be relieved. If she was alive, was Mako there? Did anyone know what happened to her? Were they trying to help her?

"What do I do?" She asked her former self.

Aang replied, "You must let your soul heal. This happened to me as well."

The Water Tribe girl gasped, "Really?"

The air nomad nodded solemnly, answering, "Yes. During the coup in Ba Sing Se, Princess Azula shot me with lightning while I was in the Avatar State. She killed me."

Suddenly, Korra felt a cold jolt hit her in the middle of her spine. Her blinked twice, marveling, "I think I felt that just now, Aang."

Aang nodded, continuing his story, "Katara revived me, but I was comatose for weeks. I hung in the balance between life and death, and I waited in the Spirit World until I recovered."

Korra shook her head, placing a hand over her mouth. There was so much to absorb. "So I'm not dead…just in a coma?"

"Perhaps. Your spirit will often cross into the Spirit World without you realizing it. It's all about recovery." He responded.

She looked up into the sky again, and then around. She slumped her shoulders, asking, "So now what?"

"You must talk to the last three Avatars before us. Roku is awaiting you by the waterfalls."

It all happened so fast that Korra had no time to ask what he meant exactly. Aang kissed her forehead and was whisked away into thin air by some unknown force. Alone in the Spirit World's wilderness once again, she started to walk through the trees. She had to find her way out here _some_ way or another.

* * *

**Cold: Some canon-compliant Zutara. Kataang is plausible, but Zutara is way hotter, let's admit it.**

**Cast Away: Skoochy got very hurt and was shocked to see a well-groomed girl interested in him.**

**Wonder Boy: I'm warming up to Makorra. I used to be vbery upset with them because of Bo and Asami, but I got over it. Mako wants to be hero.**

**Anniversary: because nothing is complete without bringing up Lin and Toph. And melons.**

**Tribute: Exactly what the title says. It's a tribute to our Krew. Our Team Avatar 2.0. 3 3 3 There's more to come.**

**Memories: Korra vntures through the Spirit World, meeting her past lives. This first one is about Aang. She starts putting together the pieces of what happened to her.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thrill**

Dinner had gone pleasantly well.

She waited at the round table alone, sipping a wine as she waited. She played with the embroidered edges of the table cloth, tracing the floral pattern with her slim fingers. He walked in with a bouquet of fire lilies and a charming smile.

She was dressed in a velveteen dining gown, colored deep burgundy. Her hair was piled onto her head, tied up into a tight bun. Her new hairstyle did not go unnoticed by the general. He quickly complimented it, saying she looked lovely.

Asami had blushed. He was definitely good at sweet talking.

The two of them dined on fine cuisine as they talked about their families. Iroh consoled her when she spoke about her mother. Asami praised his namesake. The gentleman told her stories about his first days in the United Forces, about how he came to be a general. Asami explained to him the work she had to do to rebuild Future Industries.

They came to realize that they had quite a lot in common.

The young woman realized that beneath that tough, polite exterior was a kind and funny boy.

_"…leaf me alone, I'm bushed!"_ They both had a good laugh about that joke. Asami could only remember the punch line now.

By the end of dinner, the two were more than well-acquainted. Iroh offered to walk her to her estate, but she insisted that she could drive herself. She even offered to give him a ride wherever he needed.

The young gentleman tried to politely decline, but Asami would have none of it. She reached out to hold his hand and gently tugged him towards her parked, sleek vehicle. Iroh cleared his throat when she held his hand, smiling at her.

Asami was in the driver's seat now, fastened well and smiling at her passenger.

"You ever ride?" She asked.

He shook his head bashfully, "I'm afraid not."

"Well, then. Get ready for the thrill of your life, general."

With that, she pulled her foot away from the brakes and hit the accelerator, immediately launching them into what Iroh figured was a fifty miles per hour pace. His breath caught in his throat, opening his mouth to scream. Asami screeched in pleasure as she drove them through the streets. Iroh looked over at the young lady, mildly shocked to see that her hair had undone itself and now flew behind her like a sea of black. Her green eyes were wide open, alive and fiery. A beautiful, toothy grin was smothered onto her face. The young man watched her with endearment, nearly forgetting how fast they were going.

By the end of the drive, the two of them were both somewhat disappointed. Asami jerked the brake back, and settled back into her leather seat. Panting softly, grinning goofily was Iroh. She smiled back and said, "We're here."

The general cleared his throat, saying, "Of course," he unbuckled his seat belt, "Thank you, Miss Sato—I mean, Asami." He heaved himself out of the Satomobile and stepped back.

Asami nodded in response, replying, "You're very welcome, Iroh. I'll see you around?"

The prince watched her cheeks go pink as he said, "Of course."

The heiress gave him one last grin before driving away. Iroh let his hand linger in the air, waving to her even when her vehicle was out of sight.

Iroh felt a soft, warm blooming feeling in his chest, along with the pounding of his heart. Her beauty, her laugh, her sense of adventure—she was absolutely _thrilling._

* * *

**Home Wrecker**

Pema wrapped her hands around a strand of hair and tugged gently as she passed by Tenzin and Lin in the garden on Air Temple Island. As an air acolyte, she had to spend her time on the temple and around Tenzin. It was hard—her love for him grew day by day and he still had no idea.

They were good friends, often ambling around the island and talking. She liked to listen to Tenzin as he spoke. His voice was soothing, deep and calm. He was a soft spoken gentleman overall, something Pema loved. He was a handsome air bender, powerful and worthy. She dreamt of him often, which made her grow tired of seeing him with someone else. Lin was a great person and a strong woman but she didn't make a good enough match for the monk.

She looked back at the pair with envy and sadness and sighed. She leaned against the doorway to the main hall.

"Just tell him."

Pema spun around with a gasp. There was elderly Aang, smiling wide. His grey eyes sparkled, lines around his eyes turning up with his smile.

The air acolyte bowed, and kept her eyes to the floor. She was blushing now, for sure.

"What have you got to lose, young lady?" He asked.

Pema replied, voice barely audible, "I don't want to be a home wrecker."

Aang chuckled softly. "Love doesn't wreck a home, it builds one."

Pema smiled, looking up at him. "You think Lin would mind?"

The Avatar shrugged, "She's a headstrong lady, but she'll come around."

The young woman sighed hopefully, "You really think I should tell him?"

The elder put a hand on her shoulder and replied, "It'll only hurt you more if you wait."

The dark-haired woman thought about this for a few moments before looking up and saying, "Thank you, Avatar Aang."

He returned her smile and responded, "Go to him, Pema."

The air acolyte looked over her shoulder and saw Tenzin sitting alone now. It didn't matter where Lin had gone to; now it was _her_ time.

As Pema bravely strode over to the monk, Aang whispered, "Good luck, child."

* * *

**Memories II**

The elderly man was standing on the cliff, overlooking an endless waterfall.

Korra focused on him, drinking his appearance in. He was pale, his long white hair looking finely combed, along with his long beard. She was surprised to see that he was wearing a crown—one the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation would wear. He was wearing traditional Fire Nation robes, too. He looked calm and serene.

"Are you….are you Roku?" Korra asked suspiciously.

Roku turned his upper half towards her and his eyes lit up. A soft smile formed over his lips.

"Yes," he returned, "And you must be Korra."

"Aang said I would find you here." She replied.

Roku studied her for a moment before saying, "Usually the avatar doesn't need to journey into the spirit world unless there are dire circumstances."

The teenage girl shrugged, rubbing an arm. "I think my spirit was hurt. That's what Aang told me, at least."

The elder crossed his arms behind his back and said, "Yes, your throat was weakened severely. I see."

He started to walk past her, as though thinking deeply. Korra just stared, getting somewhat impatient with his wanderings.

"Uh…_hello?_ Fire bending Avatar, I kind of need your help or wisdom or whatever. What's going on with me?" She asked, hands on her hips.

Roku turned to smile at her and replied, "You are the first rebellious Avatar that I've met. I think I see a bit of myself in you."

Korra crossed her arms over her chest and replied, "Well, yeah, I'm your reincarnation." Then she looked at his crown, "But I didn't think of Fire Nation princes as rebellious."

Roku chuckled ever so lightly and let his gaze go skyward, as though looking at the golden adornment in his hair.

"I'm sorry if this deceives you. I wasn't a prince in my lifetime. This belonged to my childhood friend, Sozin." He answered.

The current Avatar's eyes flew open at the realization. "What? Fire Lord Sozin? The crazy freak that started the hundred year war? _That_ Sozin?"

Roku's smile disappeared from his face and he nodded, "Yes. Before Sozin became a bloodthirsty colonizer, he and I were best friends. He encouraged me to fulfill my duties as the Avatar until they interfered with his plans. It was actually because of my reluctance that the war started. Had I been honest with myself about him, had I stopped telling myself that Sozin would come around, then the world would have been saved."

Korra gasped, "So…it was you?"

The elder sighed sadly, "I told myself so many lies. The truth is, Korra, it takes strength to be honest with yourself. I want you to think over all the dishonesties you've uncovered in your lifetime. Meditate on them and start telling the truth."

The young girl nodded. _This is starting to make sense_, she thought.

Roku was beside her in seconds. He put a hand over her shoulder and said helpfully, "Next you will go to Kyoshi. She resides in the mountains. Hei Bai will guide you."

Korra raised an eyebrow, confused. "Hei what?"

A low rumble echoed behind her and a large panda bear stepped out of the shadows. He looked docile and amicable, and very familiar to Korra. She smiled and waved lamely,

"Hei Bai!" She said.

The bear responded with a happy growl and Roku told her, "Hurry. The faster you uncover your memories, the faster your spirit will heal."

Korra climbed onto Hei Bai's back, much like she would with Naga and waved at her previous incarnate.

"Thank you, Avatar Roku." She said, before the elder dissipated into the air without a trace.

* * *

**Cold**

Mako shivered violently as the snow gently fell over his form. He stood hunched over in a back alley, behind a little café he often frequented. In his hand was a foam cup filled with stale, burnt coffee that was quickly freezing. However, it was still keeping his fingers from going blue and falling off. The rest of his body didn't have such a luxury. He only had on a sweater—with no hood, mind you—and jeans. His father's ratty scarf was draped around his neck.

He glared at the ground, laden in snow. Why did everything have to be so complicated? The world was constantly throwing him curveballs. Around every turn, something unexpected and quite unpleasant would shock him. His parents' deaths, his brother's moving away, his lack of money for starters.

And that obnoxious, annoying waitress Korra who didn't seem to understand the meaning of "no", always was hounding him with questions. When Mako ordered a cup of coffee to go, or a single table in the corner of the room, that meant he wanted privacy. Peace. Time _alone_. Korra didn't get that. She talked to him like he was her best friend, barely jotting down his order before going back to yapping. Spirits, she was frustrating.

The sound of a door slamming surprised Mako—snapping him out of his mood thoughts. He was both surprised and expectant to see the tanned, brown-haired girl standing in front of him. A funny knot formed in his gut and he turned away from her, rolling his eyes.

For some reason, he felt angry when she spoke.

"..Hey," she tested, plunging her hands into the front pocket of her hooded sweatshirt, "You OK?"

Mako didn't reply. He just stared at his coffee cup, willing Korra to just go away.

The girl kept prodding, "I could…top you off, if you like." She said, pointing at the beverage.

Mako rolled his eyes again and turned to her, malevolent stare boring into her. "Why do you keep talking to me?" He demanded.

He expected her to recoil, like a scared animal. Instead, her blue eyes darkened and she answered matter-of-factly,

"Because that's what people do?"

"They piss people off? Yeah, you're right about that!" Mako rejoined, not really sure why he was yelling. It just felt good to.

Korra raised one eyebrow and replied sharply, "The weather isn't the only cold thing around here."

The man glared at his cup and responded, "Yeah, this coffee tastes like crap."

The girl shook her head, "I meant you, you idiot."

The black haired boy looked at her and shouted, "You want to be my friend, little-miss-sunshine? Is that it? You want to make everything better for me? Newsflash kid: you don't go around calling people 'idiot' and expect them to like you."

Korra held back an angry laugh. She shouted back, "And you can't just wish all of your problems away by brooding and hiding from everyone like a hermit!"

Mako threw his cup into the ground, splashing coffee everywhere, staining the snow brown. "What do you care!?" He screamed.

The brunette fisted her own hair and cried, "Because you're suffering! I can see it written on your face you stupid jerk!"

Mako was slightly taken aback. Yes, he was suffering. Was Korra trying to make him feel better this whole time? Did she even care that he was in pain? No one else did.

Korra sighed and turned around. As she reentered the café, she looked back at him and said softly,

"I'm always here in case you need anything. I don't have to be your friend but I'll listen to whatever you have to say. And whatever you do, don't try to convince yourself that you can handle this on your own. Newsflash: nobody _likes_ to be lonely."

As her form disappeared into the building, Mako pondered over this. He didn't need to be angry. In fact there were people who did care about him, however weird and annoying they might seem. He looked back at the snow where he'd thrown his drink. He figured he might as well go inside and take up Korra on the offer to top him off.

Suddenly, he didn't feel as cold.

* * *

**Between Encounters**

"Daddy_,_ _please."_

"You deliberately disobeyed me, Ta Min."

"Nothing happened!"

"Because I got there in time!" The Fire Lord responded, "Do you know how dangerous he is?"

The princess eyed the floor, mumbling, "He didn't look so dangerous."

Zuko crossed the floor and cupped his daughter's chin in his hand. "He is deceitful and condescending. I refuse to let him poison you the way he did to me."

Ta Min pulled herself away from her father and defended her grandfather, crying, "Uncle Aang always says that revenge is like a two-headed viper-"

The Fire Lord shouted, "Don't tell me what the Avatar says! You were never banished from your home and forced to restore your own honor!"

The young girl was taken aback by her father's voice. Sure, he was impatient sometimes but he never raised his voice at her. Ever.

"People change." She replied softly,

"Not Ozai." Zuko snapped.

Ta Min took another route. "What about Aunt Azula? You let me see her sometimes."

The Fire Lord shook his head, responding, "She's mentally stable now. She was poisoned by Ozai as well, but we were able to restore her health."

The girl sighed, saying, "Daddy, I'm not looking to free him or change him or anything of the sort. I just want to _know _him."

Zuko looked back at his offspring, no longer seeing a vulnerable child. Ta Min was a lady now, a princess fit to rule. She was much more mature then he was at her age. Why, he was a self-deprecating and angry boy at fifteen. Ta Min was way more intelligent and kind than he could ever have dreamt of being. He felt so old.

It sucked.

He sighed, shoulders slumping. The princess was grinning before he could even say a word. "Supervised visits with him? Thank you Daddy!" With that, she wrapped her arms around her father and fled the room, practically bouncing with triumph.

* * *

**Thrill: More Irosami**

**Home Wrecker: Some Pemzin, courtesy of Aang x3**

**Memories II: Korra finally got to meet Roku. I really hope she bonds with Kuruk in Book 2.**

**Cold: I know I wrote a drabble called 'Cold' already, but I drew some Makorra art the other day and I posted it on DeviantArt. Go find it, at lamad dot deviantart dot com**

**Between Encounters: Dadko is a pushover ;3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Out of the Blue**

"We're not meant to be," were her words.

The monk rocked his body back and forth as he sat in the grass. Meditating in a meadow in the early morning, he found, always cleared the mind. He bit on his lower lip and tried to huddle in on himself. It wasn't particularly cold, but he shivered uncontrollably every time he thought of her.

He should have noticed the signs. The blushing, the tension, the hushed voices, the muttering of _"Zutara"_ under Toph's breath; he nearly laughed how obvious it was.

But Aang wanted to cry. Here he was, a sixteen year old Avatar, without his right hand woman, his _forever girl _by his side. Where was she? In the arms of the Fire Lord. He would've blamed Zuko, blamed him for stealing away the love of his life, but thinking about it now he realized that he'd stolen Katara from the Fire Lord.

They were fire and water, sun and moon, two halves of the same force. Aang was an Avatar, and as guilty as he felt doing it, he had to leave her behind to achieve all his goals. It then crossed his mind that he'd dragged her all across the world and never once asked her what she wanted to do. Zuko supported her and loved her and protected her. He and Katara were molded for each other. They were each other's destiny.

This sudden epiphany made Aang's eyes snap open in the middle of his meditation. This wasn't some random occurrence. This was written by the spirits, planned and premeditated. He only kicked himself for not seeing it earlier.

* * *

**Pain**

It was silent in their flat as the balls of her feet just kissed the floorboards. It was midnight; the moonlight illuminating the halls for her as she snuck towards the living room where he lay.

Korra watched the slow rise and fall of her lover's chest, feeling a tug in her chest. He slept on the couch in the corner of the room, something he did when they fought. Mako always claimed that he'd rather not share a bed with her when he was angry, lest he do something he'd regret.

She hated to be alone. And she hated seeing him angry. Korra loved him unconditionally, and she knew the feelings were reciprocated. Mako made her feel like she was a mess, a crazy and love struck mess. He was an expert at making her weak in the knees, from the moment they met in that Pro-bending arena. When they were together, she felt like she was being suffocated, but at the same time liberated of all of her worries.

Just looking at his innocent, peaceful features as he slumbered made Korra's heart hurt. Her eyes tingled with tears with the realization that she'd been tamed. The once rebellious and hard headed Avatar was brought down. She bit down hard on her lip and subtly sat beside his body, stroking his pale cheek.

"Now look what you've done," she whispered as a tear rolled down her face.

With that, she suppressed a loud sob by biting down on her lip again, drawing blood. Only a small gasp escaped her mouth, but Mako's eyes fluttered open and sat up quickly, frightened by the random figure beside him.

When he noticed it was Korra, his muscles relaxed. "What…," he started, and then he saw her tears. "What's wrong?"

Korra knew it was stupid to cry over love. She couldn't help it, though. "It hurts to love you, but I love the pain."

Mako slowly reached out to wipe away her tears, letting a finger linger on her cheek, wondering what he'd done to prove to the spirits that he deserved such an angel like her.

* * *

**Cruel**

"The 41st Division," the princess stated simply, her face devoid of emotion.

The dirty and bearded face behind the iron bars looked up at her. "What was that?"

Ta Min felt angry. She didn't know how else to approach her grandfather. The story behind her father and Ozai's relationship was kept hidden from her until now. She'd asked and pleaded and whined until her governess relented and told her the truth.

She'd known that Ozai was cruel, but never so cruel as to do what he did.

"Those poor foot soldiers. They were slaughtered in the Earth Kingdom," she seethed. She knew didn't need to be as upset as she did. She wasn't related to their families, she didn't even meet them face to face. But why? Why let them die?

Ozai grumbled in response, "War is a bloody thing, Ta Min—"

"—That's _crown princess Ta Min_ to you," she replied coldly.

The elder was shocked by his granddaughter's cold demeanor. From what he'd gathered from their supervised visits, she was a soft spoken and forgiving child. Although, he pointed out to himself, there were things she didn't know about her family tree, things that could traumatize a grown adult.

_"All those men and women…they loved the Fire Nation and you let them be slaughtered like pig chickens!"_

Now she was shouting. Ozai actually flinched. This was a side of her he'd never seen. If her governess had come down with her this time (Ta Min snuck out), perhaps the princess wouldn't have showed all of her emotions. Ozai remembered his own upbringing as a prince, being punished for speaking out of line. His son had done the same and was adequately corrected. If Ozai was still Fire Lord, he may have done the same to Ta Min.

She glared at him, her golden eyes boring into his body. Whatever heart was left in the dethroned ruler withered away from that look.

"And not to mention what you did when your only son objected to it….you…," Ta Min felt dizzy just thinking about it. "Your son….was the only person with a fraction of honor in that council room…and…and…"

Now Ta Min was bawling. Tears streamed down her face as she blubbered out nonsense. Ozai grimaced as he watched the tears roll off her chin and hit the grimy floor. He didn't feel bad, even though he wanted to. Azula never cried. If his daughter even felt emotions beside jealousy and rage, he didn't bother to find out. And Zuko, well, Zuko cried like a baby before him and was rewarded with half his face being burnt off. He deserved it.

The princess spoke again, growling as she wiped at her eyes, "You're sick! What kind of filthy, dishonorable bastard burns his own son and scars him for life?!"

Ozai felt his breath go heavy. Even in his imprisoned state, with his lack of bending, he refused to be called dishonorable. "Watch it, girl," he began.

Ta Min had already slammed the iron bars back, entering the cell and advancing on him. Ozai didn't flinch or cower; he didn't even bow his head.

"I'd challenge you to an Agni Kai if you weren't so useless," she spat.

He took the jab about his losing his fire bending as a scarring insult. He retorted, cackling dryly, "I highly doubt it, girl. Your precious Daddy was a failure at fire bending. Why else didn't he fight me in that Agni Kai?"

Something broke inside of Ta Min. Her eyes shone with hatred and she screamed wordlessly as she slapped Ozai hard across the cheek. The older man felt a searing pain seep through his skin. As he reached up to feel the wound, he cringed with pain. The scent of burnt skin filled the air.

He looked up at Ta Min and no longer saw a loving granddaughter. He saw another enemy.

"I've been practicing," she declared, "I could kill you right now, just by doing this."

With that, she flicked her wrist upwards and a flame erupted from her finger. She teasingly waved the reddish-orange weapon in front of Ozai's face and brought it dangerously close to his throat. The old man closed his eyes and accepted whatever fate the spirits had written for him.

Suddenly, the heat was gone and Ozai's eyes snapped back open. Ta Min still wore her sneer, but her eyes had softened. She whispered as one more tear fell from her face, "I'm not like you, though."

"You better go have a talk with your grandmother, then," he rejoined, still gingerly touching his burn.

The princess looked at him confusedly but said nothing else. She closed the cell door behind her and wordlessly left the prison ward. Ozai watched her go with a heavy heart. He had lost the only person left in the world who could tolerate him.

* * *

**Memories III**

Hei Bai carried Korra miles up the mountain side, grumbling softly as he moved. Korra meditated the whole way, trying to recover the memories of last night; when she was attacked by one of the Triads. It was no use though. It seemed her meditation had no effect, just like her bending, in the Spirit World. She sighed angrily. Roku told her to meditate and think over the lies she'd come across and or told in her life. Didn't he say it would liberate her?

As soon as she stopped meditating, Hei Bai came to a halt on the summit of the mountain. There was fog and mist everywhere. Korra squinted to see, but was only met with shadows. She looked around, seeking refuge with Hei Bai, but the giant panda bear was nowhere to be found. Korra panicked. She had no idea where she was and she couldn't see a thing. Tenzin told her of Koh the face stealer, he could sneak up on her like this. She forced her face muscles to slack, putting on an impassive visage so the demon wouldn't steal her face.

She took a fearful step forward, grounding her foot in the rock to make sure it was stable. Then, as she lifted her other leg to repeat the process, a shadow in the shape of a woman appeared. More thoughts about Koh drifted in her mind like the fog. He took up disguises often. She swallowed her fears and awaited the demon to approach.

She was both shocked and relieved to see the woman in face paint appear. She had red lips and eye shadow. She wore a green dress and a yellow headdress in the shape of a fan. Korra unknowingly walked up to her and said, "Kyoshi."

Kyoshi, the usually impassive Avatar, smirked ever so slightly. "You're the water bending Avatar: Korra. I'm glad to see you're not a ditz."

The girl grinned in response. She expected that. It reminded her a little of Lin.

"Roku said—" She started.

"You've been dishonest with yourself," Kyoshi replied.

Korra was taken aback. "Uh…yes, I suppose that's what he said."

"Has anyone told you what you have to do in order to enter the Avatar State successfully," Kyoshi asked.

Korra nodded. She knew. "Let go of your loved ones. Tenzin told me," she answered.

"I don't know who Tenzin is," the earth bending Avatar replied, "but it seems like he hasn't told you all of it."

"I let go of Mako and Bolin and everyone," Korra remembered. Tenzin made her meditate on it.

"Are you sure you let them go?" Kyoshi rejoined, her tone rebuking.

"Uh…yeah? I went in the Avatar State right before I got here," she retorted. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

Kyoshi shook her head, answering, "You're missing something, Korra. Look deep inside your consciousness."

"For what," Korra asked angrily. She was tired of cryptic messages.

"You're still attached to the world. While your duty is to them, your soul belongs elsewhere," Kyoshi replied once more before she started to fade away. Korra, panicking, shouted, "Wait! Where do I go?!"

When only a smidgen of Kyoshi's essence was left floating in the air, her voice echoed throughout the mountain top, "The face stealer's lair."

A shock of electricity ran down Korra's spine and stopped in her throat. The water bender fell with a jolt down the mountain and the sound of the wind drowned her screams. Before she hit the ground, Korra's world went black.

* * *

**Out of the Blue: **My OTP is Zutara, always will be. I just...UGH I still think they should've made Katara and Zuko a couple. Would have been so bad? GOD Bryke...

**Pain:** Based off of the song "Bullet" by 78violet. I think, because Korra and Mako have very different personalities, their relationship will have a lot of rough patches.

**Cruel:** Ozai is an ass. We all know it. Eventually he was going to drive away everyone that bothered to care for him.

**Memories III:** If Kyoshi ever did any REAL talking, she'd be a mix of Toph and Lin. Such a bamf...


End file.
